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I 4 wlllllffllfllllll ZrlIfI/flrl/Il rll Jill I/IIIIIlI/IIl/lllllllllllfflI/Il/lllllll 71!"!!!lflllllllllllfllfll g Patented Dec. 16,1919.

L77UUe7vZ W W. E CLOUGH.

BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1-. I918.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WTLLARD E. CLOUGH, 0F MANSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOAT.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known thatI, \VILLARD E. CLOUGH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mansfield, in the countyof Bristol and'State of Massachusetts, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Boats, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in boats and more especially to means for propelling boats.

The invention has for its object to provide simple and inexpensive auxiliary propelling means for a screw propelled boat, which means is capable of utillzing power of a partial vacuum produced by the suction of the screw propeller combined with force produced by the fall of water passing through a downward inclined tube extending from the bow to the stern of the boat to a point in front of said screw propeller.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for operatively connecting the auxiliary driving means with the princip'al driving means of the boatwhich Wlll become automatically disconnected when the boat is moving rearwardly and whlch will also allow a difierential speed between the pr ncipal driving means and said auxiliary dr1ving means.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through a boat embodying my inventlon.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the boat taken on the line '22 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a detail section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4: is a detail transverse section taken on the line fr-ii: of Fig. 3.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

' In the drawings, 1 indicates the hull of a boat provided with an opening 2 at the bow thereof adjacent to but preferably just below the water line of said boat. Another opening '3 is formed at the stern of the boat and at substantially the lowest polnt thereof and constitutes a discharge opening. The openings 2 and 3 are connected together by a tube l which extends long1- tudinally of the boat, preferably ad acent Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec, 16, 1919..

Application filed July 1, 1918.

Serial No. 242,881.

ing 3. This tube is adapted to conduct water from the bow to the'stern andoWing to the inclination thereof, the speed and force of the water passing therethrough will be greatly increased.- V 1 The propelling device for the boat preferably consists of a screw propeller 5 arranged at the stern of said boat and secured to the end of a propeller shaft 6, which shaft is preferably disposed above the tube 4, motion being imparted to said shaft by suitable instrumentalities, such as an engine 7. The discharge opening 3 is disposed directly in front of the propeller 5 so that the water passing through said tube a will be discharged against said propeller.

In screw driven boats, there is always a vacuum or partial vacuum produced immediately in front of the propeller caused by the rapid displacement of water by said propeller, and it is one of the objects of this invention to utilize the power of the suction produced by said vacuum to assist in drawing the water through the tube 4, and it is for this reason'that the discharge opening isdirectly in front ofthe portion of said propeller.

The pressureproduced by said vacuum,

combined 3 with the fall of the water through said tube from a distancenear the water line to the lowest portion of the boat,

causes said water to pass through said tube with considerable force, and it is another object of this invention toutilize this force in assisting the engine 7 in propelling the oat. v

.To accomplish this result, a power. wheel 8 is arranged adjacent to said tube in a casing 9. The power wheel embodies in its construction a plurality of blades 10 which extend from the casing 9 into the tube 4 directly in the path of. the water passing through said tube. and the impact of the water against said blades causes the power wheel to rotate. The wheel 9, issecured to a shaft 11 extending upwardly and provided at its upper endwith a bevel gear 12. The gear "12 isadapted to mesh with-a gear 13 loosely mounted to rotate .upon' the propeller shaft. 6.

Means are provided for allowing a differential movement of the propeller shaft to i take place relatively to the power wheel 8, said means preferably embodying a coupling 1a which consists of a sleeve 15, in the present instance formed 1n the hub of the gear 13.

A collar 16 is secured to the shaft 6 to rotate therewith, and this collar has a reduced portion 17 adapted to extend into the sleeve 15. A plurality of tapered recesses 18 is formed in the outer perlphery of the reduced portion 17 and arranged within these recesses are rollers 19. The recesses 18 are deep enough at one end to contain the rollers 19 and the opposite ends of said recesses are shallow, and by reason of a relative movement between the portion 17 of said collar and said rim ln-one direction said rollers will be forced toward the shallow ends of said recesses, and consequently wedge said rollers between two moving parts so as to cause said parts to rotate in unison.

To assist in the wedging process, springs 20 are interposed between said rollers and the deepest portion of said recesses and normally tend to force said rollers toward the shallow end thereof. This type of device is commonly known as a ball clutch and is provided for the purpose of locking the gear 13 to the shaft 6 when there is a tendency of said gear to rotate faster than said shaft. When the shaft 6 has a tendency to rotate faster than the gear, the coupling 1% will permit said shaft to rotate without imparting movement to the power wheel.

Furthermore, when the boat is moving rearwardly, the wheel 8 will have no. efiect upon the shaft 6. The ratio of the gears 12 and 13 is such that under ordinary conditions the rotation of the power wheel by the water passing through the tube t will tend to impart a rotary motion to said propeller shaft and thus serve as an auxiliary driving means for said propeller, but when the boat is being moved rearwardly by the pro peller, the water will pass through the opening 13 and out through the opening 2 and the power wheel 8 will be rotated by the water passing through the tube in this direction, without in the least afiecting or increasing the power upon the propeller shaft 6,

There may be occasions when it will be necessary to either regulate the flow of water through the tube or entirely shut 05 the flow therethrough such, for instance, as when the wheel 9 gets out of order or there is a leak in the tube, and additional power from the water wheel 9 is notrequired. To accomplish the closing of said tube, a gate 21 is provided at the forward end of said tube, said gate being pivotally mounted therein, adapted to rock about the axis of a shaft 22 to which is secured a worm gear 23. A worm 24, secured to a shaft 25, is adapted to engage said worm gear and rotate the same to open or close said gate, said shaft 25 being operated preferably by means of a crank 26 arranged near the operator of the boat.

To close the rear end of the tube 4:, a second gate 27 is pivotally arranged therein, said gate being secured to a shaft 28 arranged to rock in hearings in the sides of the tube 1, and a worm gear 29 is attached to the shaft 28, and this gear is adapted to be engaged and rotated by a worm :30 secured to. a shaft 31 which has, at its upper end, a crank 32 likewise in a position to be oper: ated by the operator of the boat.

Having thus specifically described my invention, what I claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is:

1. A boat having, in combination, a propeller, means for rotating said propeller, a tube extending longitudinally of said boat, adapted to conduct water from the bow of said boat and discharge the same at the stern thereof, and a power wheel arranged adjacent to said tube, adapted to be rotated by the passage of water therethrough, said wheel constituting an auxiliary driving means for said propeller.

2. A boat having, in combination, a propeller, means for rotating said propeller, a

tube extending from the bow of said boat downwardly to the stern thereof, adapted to conduct water to said boat and discharge the same against said propeller, a power wheel arranged adjacent to said tube, adapted to be rotated by the passage of water therethrough, said power wheel constituting an auxiliary driving means for said propeller, and means operatively connecting said power wheel with said propeller to rotate said propeller in one direction.

3. A boat having, in combination, {a propeller arranged at the stern of said boat. a tube extending from a point in the bow of said boat adjacent to and below the water line thereof downwardly longitudinally of said boat to the stern thereof, adapted to conduct water through said boat and dis charge the same against said propeller, means for rotating said propeller, a power wheel arranged adjacent to said tube, adapted to be operated by the passage of water therethrough, and means operatively connecting said power wheel with said propeller, adapted to impart motion to said propeller in a forward direction and to be automatically disconnected and adapted to permit said propeller to rotate independently of said power wheel.

4. A boat having, in combination, propelling means for said boat, a tube inclined downwardly from the bow to the stern of said boat, auxiliary propelling means adapted to be operated by the fall of water through said tube from thebow to the stern of said boat, and means for operatively conneoting said auxiliary propelling means with said propelling means.

5. A boat having, in combination, propelling means for said boat, a tube inclined downwardly from the bow to the stern of said boat, auxiliary propelling means adapt ed to be operated by the fall of water through said tube from the,bow to the stern of said boat, and means for controlling the 10 flow of water through said tube.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLARD E. CLOUGH. Witnesses:

JOSEPH A. FULTON, KATE A. CLoUGH. 

